3 Stretches To Strengthen Your Back & Help Prevent Injury

Keep your back healthy with these yoga poses so you can get the most out of your workouts.

“Imbalances that often lead to back pain include weak or tight hamstrings and hips and poor spine mobility,” says Clearwater, FL trainer Ashleigh Gass, C.S.C.S. “Incorporate strength moves like back extensions, Gymnastics Bodies Jefferson Curls [holding a light barbell, legs straight, roll down through spine’s full range of motion; roll up to start], and planks to strengthen the core,” she says.

On top of those moves, do stretches like the following three yoga poses to help decompress the spine and increase flexibility. Check them out.


1. Child's Pose

Begin on all fours, knees wide apart with big toes touching. Lower your butt to rest on your heels, extending hands in front of you on the floor. Try to relax your lower back as you extend through your fingertips.

Stay here for 5 to 10 breaths, breathing evenly.

2. Downward Dog

Begin on all fours, hands under shoulders and knees under hips, fingers spread wide. Exhaling, lift hips toward ceiling while tucking your toes under, straightening your legs so your body forms an inverted V. Press into the floor as you lift through your hips, sinking your heels toward the floor as far as you comfortably can.

Stay here for 5 to 10 breaths.

3. Cat/Cow

Begin on all fours, hands directly under shoulders and knees under hips, spine neutral. Inhaling, drop your belly toward the floor as you lift your chin and chest. Exhaling, draw your belly toward your spine and round your back toward the ceiling, dropping the top of your head toward the floor.

Reverse the movement and repeat, alternating 10 to 15 times while breathing evenly.

My back doc who did my surgery recommended yoga for me. These are real good. Cobra pose is also real good for bulging discs in the lower and middle back. I do it morning and night for 2-3 minutes each

a lot of our friends do yoga. i think if i got in there i would end up turning the exhalted warrior into the exhausted warrior real quick. i may jump in one day though just to give it a try

I do those stretches just because I've had a bad lower back since a car accident years ago, and they Do help .
There's other stretches that my chiropractor showed me which help as well. But I think Yoga may be the way to go !

Yoga is good but even so, sometimes the poses need to be modified because they can aggravate our injuries. I do one of the most simple poses, Legs up the wall pose.

I've had back pain more than half my life. I keep sayin gi'm going to take yoga classes but havent yet lol I know it will fix the problem

I bought a video once called "yoga for athletes" - That was the toughest workout I ever did in my life LOL

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dzone

I bought a video once called "yoga for athletes" - That was the toughest workout I ever did in my life LOL

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Yes sir!


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